*Christmas Eve*

Our traditional Christmas "Eve"ning goes something like this:

1st the kids receive their new Christmas jammies...

(this year Jax & Dude wore hand-me-down jammies but all the cousins got new slippers from Grandma)

We have a Mexican Dinner with my Family & a Program complete with music performances by the young and older kids & Dad reads from Luke2. Then Mom reads a story called Christmas Oranges, a sweet story of kids each giving another fellow orphan who had none, a piece of their oranges equalling a full orange for the girl; And the grandkids then each pick an orange off the little tree in the backyard. Ironically there is always exactly enough oranges for however many grandkids there are. Last year 5, this year there should've been 6 but there was 7. My mom made the obligatory joke/question asking if anyone needed to make an announcement!!...Jozie's face turned Red.

{Aunt Sara: One of the greatest Aunts in History}

(photo by Grandma Debbie)

Jax wearing his adorable Christmas hat that Grandma Kathy handmade

We usually have to rush and cut something short @ my family's so that we can drive fast down Guadalupe and make it to the McCleve Program. This begins with acting out the Nativity. Aunt Ashlyn & Cousin Austin are Mary & Joseph and the other 20 or so grandkids make up barn animals, wise men, the shepherds and this time 1 year old Claire was baby Jesus. This would have been Jaxson's big year to be baby Jesus but of course he was sleeping ....and for as little as my kids sleep, I do NOT wake them up! {Kids never perform when they're supposed to...haha}

Spence as a shepherd...?

The adults get out their cameras and video cameras to tape the kids.

Grandpa Lonnie reads the Nativity Story as the kids act it out. He then will give his thoughts. He has an endearing way of speaking from the heart and sharing his testimony.

I was trying to figure out why I loved this picture so much and I think I figured it out. It is because Lonnie & Debbie have their favorite "tools" in hand. ~Scriptures & Video Camera

Then every grandkid has at least 1 performance they do.

This year Spence played piano, Kaylea piano & Daylan sang a blip of "Last Christmas I gave you my heart".. {He wanted Kaylea & I up there for moral support}

One of the Group Numbers

As we head out the door, we usually stuff another dessert in our mouths and cram into a couple cars. Just down the street is a friend of the families, "Santa's Helpers" who dress as Mr. & Mrs. Claus. They deck their house out like the North Pole and all the cousins get to sit on Santa's lap.

Then we hurry back to Grandma's because we "hear" that the real Santa is in Arizona. We get there just in time to spy on him.

I love that this picture shows Ashlyn lying next to the kids. {Backstory: I vividly remember all the times Tim & I would be in that exact spot with Lace & Ash as THEY were spying on Santa. I remember one year holding Ash because she was so nervous. She sat in my lap and was shaking. I remember feeling her heart racing....and now she was right there with my kids.}

{do you see him?....he's fast.}

We drive home to Queen Creek and set out our plate of cookies and milk along with a note for the jolly ol' fella. The kids squeeze their eyes tightly in hopes that they'll fall asleep faster. I just happen to go downstairs at about 1am...for a drink of water....and see this:

He came!

And we do it all for these 4 adorable faces.